Image projection is more affordable now than ever. With prices dropping and quality increasing, 2003 looks like a bumper year for office projectors, especially with the onset of integrated wireless connectivity, and particularly in comparison with plasma displays (whose prices have also have been dropping, but they still have a long way to go before they are really affordable.)

We've rounded up a trio of data projectors for the office that range from $6,300 to $8,000. The Toshiba B2 Ultra SE and InFocus LP70 models are highly portable and are ideal for the roaming presenter, or for use across departments; and while it could be argued that the Panasonic LT-520E is a portable as well with its handle on the side, we consider it more of a ‘luggable'.

We tested the projectors by running DisplayMate (www.displaymate.com) from
a PC and checking for artefacts, colour problems, contrast fall-offs and uniformity across the projection. And although these

are data projectors and more at home in the office displaying PowerPoint presentations, we also plugged in a DVD player and gave them a spin, as all three projectors come with S-Video inputs.

Each projectors was capable in its own right, but the real surprise of the bunch was the InFocus LP70. Here's a projector that shaves off a few centimetres from every dimension but has some of the best results of any projector seen at PC Authority, and is a good example of the new twelve-degree DMD chip performing as intended.

In image terms, this translates to convincing blacks, rather than the greenish tinge common to projectors with lower contrast ratios. A high contrast ratio can also lead to a sharper image, particularly where colours are concerned. The LP70 showed clear evidence of this, with a clean sweep of the coloured text.

It wasn't the brightest projector though – that accolade goes to the Panasonic with a huge 2,000 ANSI lumens. Even the Toshiba TLP-B2 Ultra SE's ANSI lumens rating was higher, although the difference between the two wasn't that noticeable.

The Toshiba and Panasonic units aren't slouches when it comes to connectivity: they both have RGB 15-pin D-Sub and S-Video and RCA composite video. However, unique to InFocus is its M1-A connector. This can link the LP70 to a PC via a digital or analog connection in tandem with a USB connection used by the Projector Manager software. It also allows for the connection of future feature attachments.

The B2 Ultra SE put out a fair bit of heat after it had been running for a while compared to the other two models, but it did run quietly even though its fans were working overtime.

While the LP70 is a perfect portable all-rounder, particularly for the travelling presenter, the Panasonic represents the best value for money if you're setting up a permanent presentation suite in a boardroom or showroom. The Toshiba is portable as well as a solid performer, but it lacks the qualities that make the Panasonic and InFocus units so good.
The LP70 offers exemplary image quality, due in part to the excellent contrast ratio. In the end, projector image quality is what really matters. This, and the obvious portability, reasonable noise levels and ease of use mean we don't hesitate in recommending the InFocus LP70 and placing it straight on our A-List.